Avandia still available in Kuwait despite the withdrawal announcement

Avandia, a medication used for Type 2 Diabetes, raised several concerns about its safety and several countries started to withdraw it from its markets. Kuwait was among these countries, yet, a recent investigation showed that Avandia is still available at the pharmacies in Kuwait. The investigation was conducted by Kuwait Times, a well-known journal in the country, and one of its staff members was able to get Avandia, without prescription, from a pharmacy in Salmiya.

Previously, the Ministry of Health in Kuwait announced that Avandia is to be withdrawn and prevented from entering the markets in the country. The decision was made following suggestion coming from health organization in Europe and the US that mentioned that the drug has potential side effects including cardiac attacks and strokes. However, several doctors reported that despite the announcement made by the Ministry of Health about Avandia, no official letter regarding this issue was delivered to hospitals and pharmacies. Dr. Abdulnabi Al-Athar, a diabetes consultant, said that despite the absence of any official written letter about Avandia withdrawal, the drug is going to be out of the market shortly. He said “There’s a lot of discussion now on whether to ban the drug or not. Currently in Kuwait, yes, we heard about the ban in the media but it is still available everywhere. There must be a written order, or a memo, from the ministry before pharmacies can comply with the ban,”